Romero to Compete for Olympic Bid

By NU Athletic Communications

| 01/18/2012

Lincoln - Nebraska junior
defender Ari Romero has been selected to play for the Mexican National Team
that will complete at the CONCACAF Women's Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Vancouver,
British Columbia. Romero is one of 30 total players on the roster and is the
sixth youngest player on the squad.

Romero will be joined in Vancouver by two former Huskers that will be playing for the Canadian National Team. Karina LeBlanc is one of two goalies on the Canadian team, while Brittany Timko is one of the team's five attackers.

A sophomore during the 2011 season, Romero
started all 18 games for Head Coach John Walker at defender. The Surprise,
Ariz., native scored one goal on the year and added two assists.

The
eight-team tournament is split into two four-team groups, with the top two
teams in each group meeting in a single-elimination tournament to decide the
two teams that earn bids to the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. Group A consists
of Canada, Costa Rica, Cuba and Haiti, while Mexico is in Group B with
Guatemala, the Dominican Republic and the United States.

The
tournament kicks off at BC Place Stadium on Friday, Jan. 19, at 7 p.m. (CT) with
Costa Rica and Cuba. Mexico is set to open play the following day against Guatemala
at 7 p.m. (CT), before meeting the Dominican Republic on Sunday, Jan. 22, at 4
p.m. (CT) and the United States on Tuesday, Jan. 24 at 9:30 p.m. (CT). The
semifinals will be played on Jan. 27, and the finals on Jan. 29.